Today on “A Book and a Chat”, I’m chatting with Jennifer Cervantes, author of middle grade novel Tortilla Sun.

While Jennifer is a native of San Diego, California with Spanish/Mexican heritage her background includes a blend of German, English, French and Irish. This, as Jennifer shared with us, not only produced a wide range of food choices but also enabled her to grow up with stories with a lot of diversity.

As we found out in what was a really entertaining as well as educational sixty minutes, we have to thank Jennifer’s daughter Jules for pushing her mother to open the flood gates of Jennifer’s obvious talent that has lead to this her first book, but I’m sure not her last.

Tortilla Sun, as mentioned is a middle grade book, but far more than just that. It is beautiful story that’s also filled with some elements of magic. The characters and the description of the life’s and locations are like an artist painting a picture, in Jennifer’s case using words rather than brush and paints.

Tortilla Sun

The story is about a tender, magical story about 12 year old Izzy Roybal who is sent to spend the summer in her nana’s New Mexico village where she is soon caught up in the foreign world of her own culture, from patron saints and soulful food to the curious and magical blessings Nana gives her tortillas. In Nana’s village she meets Mateo, the adventurous, treasure seeking thirteen year old boy who lives on the other side of the bolted door in Izzy’s bedroom and six year old Maggie who is raising her cat, Frida, as a dog and sees marshmallow ghosts float out windows. When the wind begins to whisper to Izzy, she is soon led on an adventure to learn about her father’s mysterious death, who she really is, and to connect the hidden pieces of her past.

During the show we discussed about the issues and challenges of not only writing a novel but what happens after the novel is produced, the waiting for the final copy and then the work that starts after that. The discussion ranged across how the book and the story transcends across groups and ages, and how the characters almost write the book themselves.

From ghosts to making Tortilla, from NFL to Jennifer’s next projects the sixty minute show, as always when you are enjoying chatting, just flew by.

So why not sit back and lsiten to “A Book and a Chat with Jennifer Cervantes” or else down load the show and listen at another time.

I am very pleased to have another one of the 2010 debut YA author, the wonderful Shari Maurer and her novel “Change of Heart“.

According to her family history, Shari has been reading since the age of three, or so the story goes. Not only that but writing to authors as well, even if they were dead.

Throughout her life hearts have played a great part in Shari’s life, from being born near Valentine’s Day and her marriage to her doctor husband. This and the illness of her own daughter lead her co-author of “The Parents’ Guide to Children’s Congenital Heart Defects,” published by Three Rivers Press in 2001.

During the show Shari shared with us what lead to the production of this book and how the book was aimed to help and educate also the fact that an updated second addition might be on its way soon.

Following the heart theme Shari has produced her first YA novel “Change of Heart”

When you’re 16 years old, it never occurs to you that you might die. Emmi Miller’s got a fabulous life. She has tons of friends, does great in school and is an all-star soccer player who played in Europe last summer. It even looks like Sam Hunter, a totally cute baseball player, might be interested in her. And then she gets a virus. No biggy, right? Until the virus goes to her heart and weakens it so much that, without a transplant, Emmi will die.

Will Emmi get a heart in time? Is Sam too good to be true? What about her new friend Abe, who has also had a transplant and guides her through these scary times — is he just being supportive or is there more going on between them? And will Emmi realize it before it’s too late?

It is a book filled with reality, a heart gripping and honest story that young adults and not so young will be able to read, enjoy and relate to.

One of the items that Shari shared with us as we chatted during a very enjoyable and entertaining sixty minute show was her support or organ donation. As Shari told us, 18 people die per day due to lack of a potential donor. Shari has been working with Donate Life as part of her book release to try and get more people to become organ donors.

Along the way through the 160 odd shows I have been lucky enough to host, there has been a sprinkling dealing with abuse all be it sexual, religious or as in today’s show alcohol and substance abuse. My guest on today’s show however looks at the issue in a slightly different way in his book “Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting!: A Bridge from Addiction to Early Recovery”

While there are many books dealing with the subject of alcohol and substance abuse, rather than deep discussion on the spiraling down to the bottom of the bottle as many books do, the story instead focuses more on the changes that are necessary in order to live a sober life style.

During the show Robert shared how the keeping of journals and short essays he had written during this period lead to his production of “Excuse me your life is waiting. We discussed the almost healing process that there is in sharing what went on during this period in Roberts life as well as how he hopes that putting his issues down in the book will help others.

Indeed Robert told us that he has received not only comments from those going through such a recovery but also from others who just found what was discussed in the book, could also relate to their everyday lives.

Robert told us about his next work a novel based on World War I and the battle of Verdun, and how much he has enjoyed the knowledge gathering for this book.

The thirty minutes show is one you will find enlightening as well as entertaining.

On today’s “A Book and a Chat” is young author Estevan Vega and his now novel “Arson“.

While in elementary school, Estevan wrote short stories for class, and to his surprise, did rather well. His love and discipline for fiction launched his desire to become a fulltime writer. When he was fifteen, Estevan published “Servant of the Realm,” his first novel. In August 2007, “The Sacred Sin” was published.

His new novel “Arson” is not a story of horror and terror, well not in the Stephen King format of horror stories; however it does tell a story of two young people whose lives are basically torture and torment. A story-lines that dwells somewhere in between fiction and reality.

The demons in the book are not monsters or murders, but rather inner demons. The book covers many issues that young adults face: peer pressure, uncertainty, family conflict and insecurity. With elements of suspense and terror as well as romance it is a book that will leave the reader wanting more.

During the show Estevan shared with us how this story as well as his writing style developed, enabling him to exercise some of his own ghost and feelings along the way.

While it is a schange in style from “The Sacred Sin”, the response Estevan has received from new readers and previous followers alike is a sign of just how far this young author can go. I for one can’t wait for the follow up novel.
So why not listen now to an entertaining thirty minutes of “A Book and a Chat with Estevan Vaga”.

My guest on today’s A Book and a Chat is Janet Fox is another member of the wonderful 2K10 group of authors, those who have their debut YA novel coming out this year. Her book is called “FAITHFULL” and we learned during the show it is for Janet more than just a book.

Janet’s mother was also a writer and encouraged her daughter at an early age to write stories. In 3rd grade she found out that you could become a writer as a profession when her teacher, I discovered that writing was a profession. I could be a writer. People would pay me to tell stories! My teacher, Mrs. Weber, secretly sent a poem I wrote to the town newspaper. This was the start, as Janet describes it…

“When my mom showed me the poem – published! With my name in the paper! – I was so excited. I have to say, it was the beginning of my career.”

During the show, we learned how Janet’s writing talent and been overtaken by her love of Geology amongst other things, until the death of her mother and finding of her mother’s writings, “kick started” the production of “Faithfull” Janet debut YA Novel.

From Yellowstone Park to a young girls life in 1904, all aspects of not just the book but some of Janet own views were discussed in this entertaining sixty minutes of a Book and a Chat.

FAITFULL

It’s YA historical fiction set in 1904, with romance and mystery and a unique setting – Yellowstone National Park. An exciting setting for the story, with its deadly yet spectacular hot springs, geysers, and animals. This provides a spectacular background for the novel and enhances the experiences of the books protagonist, Maggie Bennet.

The show covered so that it is impossible to go over everything that was discussed in the sixty minutes. So why not sit back and share “A Book and a Chat with Janet Fox”

Tonight’s show was visited by another of the wonderful Class of 2K10 debut authors, Michele Corriel.

Michele is an award-winning journalist, columnist and freelance writer. During her eleven years as a newspaper journalist, she garnered First Place awards from the Montana Newspaper Association and was recognized by the National Newspaper Association.

One of the other items that Michelle has introduced and that we chatted about during the show is the Paper Towel Poetry dispenser. Standing 5 feet tall on a leg of its own, a simple paper towel dispenser awaits to dab a taker with poetry after lured by the words, “Poetry Dispenser. Please Take One“.

Michele explained during the show how this idea came about and the response she has received from sharing not only her own work but that of other poets.

Michele’s book Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery is due out in July, so right now I do not have a book cover to share with you. However Michele did chat with us, how the book came about, the trials of getting it published and how being part of the SCBWI aided the path to publication. We also chatted about other projects she is working on.

Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery (Blooming Tree/Tire Swing Press, July 2010) is the first in a series of middle grade mysteries based on the main character, Thomas Weston, who loves everything about newspapers, inky fingers and all. He dreams of having his own newspaper at school, so when all the cats in his town of Fairview start disappearing, he figures he can prove himself and solve the mystery. Oh, yeah, and he thinks in these really funny headlines.

I am sure that while Michele book is a Mid-grade novel it will be enjoyed by people of all ages, so look out for Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery when it hits the shelves in July. And before then why not listen and enjoy tonight’s “A Book and a Chat with Michele Corriel”.

During the show I kept thinking that the hero of Michele’s book sounded familiar, then suddenly remembered after the show that my guest on last Tuesday’s was “Tom Weston” hows that for planning?

My guest tonight, Tom Weston used to be a successful CEO of a consulting company, doing the rounds as conference speaker and writer of industry articles and business books. Then he visited Luxembourg.

From that trip the germ of an idea for a story was born, which developed when Tom returned to Boston, into not only his first YA novel “FIRST NIGHT” but also into his latest novel “The Elf of Luxembourg“.

As Tom shared with us during the show the development of the characters and the story line of both books have not been as planned with characters making themselves known and leading him along different paths to the ones he set out to write.

Classed as a “History Mystery” both books allow Tom to fill the story with education as well as adventure.

Tom shared with us, how a trip around the Granary Burying Ground on Boston, not only lead to finding the name of the ghost who shares the plot on “First Night” but also how her age and the period when she lived helped shape more of the story.

Tom’s latest book “The Elf of Luxembourg“, brings in a character which almost takes over the story from Jackie and Alex the heroes of the series, when they meet Cuchaquicha. His desire to be reunited with his wife and son connects Alex and Jackie to the past, but it is also a love story that readers get to see unfold as the book progresses.

From writing to producing an animated movie, through making calendars and even jigsaw related to his work, the show was a fascinating and entertaining thirty minutes.